Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
Bit.Trip.Core is a WiiWare title that combines rhythm, strategy and music into one simple format. The game is played by holding the Wii-mote horizontal and directing your "beams" in the four different directions of the d-pad. Little "beats" appear from the four sides of the screen to line up with the four directions of the d-pad, and when they lineup with your "beam" you press the 2 button on the Wii-mote. The objective is to get your beams on every single beat that comes your way.

Different variations in the mode spice up gameplay, such as beams that originate from two directions on the d-pad instead of one, different types of "beats" ones that go straight, curve, criss-cross and a number of others. In addition, the old standby of screen clearing bombs is at your disposal as well.

What's Hot
The game has a very good arcade feel to it and it's really easy to jump into. The musical touch is also very well done, Aksys could have decided to cut corners with this, but you can tell they actually invested some time into the music, since you will find yourself having to restart a few times to get the hang of the strategy.

I easily found myself wanting to go back and play the game when I had a free moment or two. It almost feels like it was built from the ground up to be a game you pick up and put down in a matter of minutes. In addition, the multiplayer aspect is fun to do seriously with friends or just for kicks at a party. It plays like a very polished mini-game, which is a good thing. Lastly, the fact that it's only 600 Wii Points is also a plus.



What's Not
Even though it's really easy to pick up and play this title, the gameplay stays the same throughout the entire experience. There are some boss fights to speak of, Bit.Trip.Core refers to them as "transition areas," where you have to re-coordinate your Wii-mote for a few seconds but that's about it. Aksys previous title, Bit.Trip: Beat, had nailed down how to use the Wii-mote in other ways, and I was hoping they would implement that creativity in the next title.

Final Word
Bit.Trip.Core is a fun and challenging game, especially for only 600 Wii Points. It feels like there are some missed opportunities in the title, but it is fun to play. Whether you only have five minutes before you leave the house or if you want to settle in for a good score challenge, Bit.Trip.Core delivers an easy yet strategic game.